Ecological resources sustain life, influencing ecology and landscape but demanding sustenance. Urbanization is impacting such resources, which is a critical concern for stakeholders. However, appreciating green infrastructure (ecological resources) is relative as the resourceful and resource-deficient nourish divergent views. Socioeconomic determinants significantly influence urban environmental integrity, making their study cardinal. This study evaluated the empirical information for holistic appraisals. The data were obtained from planned (Faisalabad) and semi-planned (Jhang) cities through a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire from 250 households. These two cities were selected because they are physically and economically homogenous but have divergent urbanization trends. Findings construe 48.6% perceiving the environment as unhealthy. About 97.6% understood urban ecological degradation, showing concern. The statistical inferences based on Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests rendered that age, education, profession, and nature of job influence (P ≤ 0.05) awareness regarding urban-ecological resilience. In contrast, gender, duration of stay, and income were insignificant. However, 64.6% showed an inclination for active participation. Contrarily, the majority complained about the city administration. The meagerness of female participation was noticeable, demanding redressal. An enhanced focus on the younger segments of urban society is also needed. Conclusions render that all stakeholders must join hands for urban ecological resilience.